Little black dress -- your best friend at holiday parties

You see it everywhere at dress-up functions: It’s timeless, versatile, seasonless and slimming.

Georgette Braun

You see it everywhere at dress-up functions: It’s timeless, versatile, seasonless and slimming.

It’s the LBD — little black dress, for the acronym-challenged.

With company holiday parties, balls and New Year’s Eve over the next few months, now is a good time to take a closer look at the wardrobe staple.

“They’re popular all the time,” says Kris Christ, owner of That Boutique in Rockford.

So what’s new? “This year, it’s the revival of the cocktail dress. And embellishments, such as pins and bows.”

You can’t wear a cocktail dress to work, though. Over the years, a selling point for the LBD has been dressing the garment down with a jacket and close-toed shoes to make it appropriate for the office.

But Rockford women who buy little black dresses don’t concern themselves too much with their LBD serving a dual purpose, Christ says. That’s partly because local women don’t have to face the travel times to get home to change for an evening out as women facing traffic in Chicago do, she says.

“Women here like to go home, wash off the makeup, get freshened up and start over. They like to keep the office at the office and going out for going out.”

The Women

Rockford Woman asked four local women to don little black dresses, accessorized with jewelry and shoes, to make their look one-of-a-kind. And we posed them at the architecturally showy Coronado Performing Arts Center in downtown Rockford, where women often wear little black dresses.

That Boutique, 1617 N. Alpine Road (815-397-6801), provided the dresses for all of the women, except Helen Hill, who wore her own dress. The store also provided shoes, priced at $42 to $49, except for Barb Majernick, who wore her own shoes.

High Maintenance Salon & Day Spa, which was set to move from 135 N. Longwood St. to 411 Peak Drive (815-963-1948), provided complimentary hair styling and coloring (except for Helen Hill, who chose to do her own), as well as makeup and manicures.

She’s in her...
30s: Tonya Thayer
About her: Thayer lives in Cherry Valley and is executive director of the Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity. She owns two little black dresses and wears LBDs to fundraiser events.
The dress: The spaghetti-strapped dress of stretch Lycra ($119) ends 6 inches above Thayer’s right knee and tapers to tea-length on her other leg. “I’m a triathlete and wear lots of Spandex. I feel so feminine and delicate in this sassy dress.”

40s: Monique Jones
About her: Jones lives in Machesney Park and works as Neighborhood Network Coordinator for the Rock River Training Corp. She has sung in college and church choirs, where she’d wear little black dresses.
The dress: Ruffles and a bodice ribbon accent the stretch Lycra, knee-length dress ($159) Jones is wearing, with a black shawl ($32) worn off her shoulders. “I feel very glamorous.”

50s: Helen Hill
About her: Hill lives in Rockford, owns Helen Hill Communication, is past president of the Friends of the Coronado, and a consultant for the Rockford Coronado Concert Association. She’s owned a dozen or so little black dresses over the years and wears LBDs to Coronado events and to the Lyric Opera in Chicago.
The dress: Her knee-length dress weighs about 5 pounds and was custom-made in the 1950s in Hong Kong. “This is such a fancy evening dress, and I feel very special in it.”

60s: Barb Majernick
About her: Majernick lives in Belvidere and is a retired Catholic Charities administrator and former principal at St. James Catholic School in Belvidere. She owns two long black dresses, and over the years has worn little black dresses to parties, fundraiser balls and funerals.
The dress: With New Year’s Eve in mind, Majernick bought from That Boutique her long-sleeved, below-the-knee, jersey knit dress ($129). “I feel slimmer.”

Tips for buying and wearing a little black dress

Choose:

- A style and cut that fits you perfectly. If you want to show off your back, select a backless dress. If you want to hide chubby arms, shy away from spaghetti straps.

- A classic style that will not fade out as fashion trends change.

- The perfect length. Most women agree that a knee-length dress is most versatile because it serves as a multi-occasion garment.

- A fabric that holds to your body properly — one that doesn’t itch, pinch or make you feel self-conscious.

Accessorize:

Just a bit if the dress has its own focal points, such as an intricate neckline or beadwork.

With handbags, wraps, shoes and jewelry to dress up the dress or to dress it down.
By adding a dash of color with scarves for the daytime or a hint of sparkle with jewelry for nighttime.